This is a colorful and vibrant Roasted Vegetable Salad with outstanding mouthwatering flavors! The roasted vegetables add a sweet component that is balanced by the saltiness of the feta. The cilantro provides freshness while the jalapeno adds a nice touch of heat! This salad is very versatile; you can add it to quinoa, rice, kale, romaine or have it with crusty bread.
This weekend, Robby and I went to the Boulder Creek Harvest Festival to watch our friend’s bands play. Our friend Alison plays in an all girl bluegrass band called “Sugar by the Pound“. How cute is that name?! And Alison’s husband’s band “Rollin Hazards” also played, which sadly we only caught the last few songs.
We also met up with our friend Erin and her cutest little boy Taj. Some time later, a few of us went to Alison and Ander’s house to have some wine and conversation in their backyard. Erin invited Robby and I over for a super amazing impromptu dinner that she whipped up in no time. We always have a great time with them and feel very blessed to have such awesome friends!
The light blue dishes in this photo were a birthday gift from Erin. I love them in this photo; they work perfectly for this rustic salad!
This salad is perfect for a crisp white wine like a dry Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon blanc, white Rioja or a Rueda.
Roasted Vegetable Salad Recipe:
- 2 Fresh Corn Cobs – roasted – 35 minutes – cut the kernels off the cobs
- 2 Small Red Peppers – roasted – 35 minutes – cut in strips
- 1 Red Onion – quarter inch round slices – roasted – 30 minutes
- 2 Baskets Cherry Tomatoes – roasted – 10 – 15 minutes
- 2 Jalapeno – thinly sliced and quartered or minced
- 1/2 Cup Feta Cheese – crumbled
- 1/2 Cup Cilantro – roughly chopped
- 1 Cloves Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Sheep Feta Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions:
Vinaigrette
Add garlic to a food processor or blender and mince. Measure and add all other ingredients and blend well.
Vegetables
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Pierce the bell pepper with a knife and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the corn. Place the baking sheet into the oven on the middle rack for 40 minutes. Put the timer on for 5 minutes then after the timer rings, add the onions to the baking sheet, turn the pepper and the corn over and roast for an additional 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the tomatoes to the baking sheet and roast everything for 10 to 15 additional minutes. Let everything except the pepper cool.
Steam the pepper by placing in a covered dish or paper bag folded closed for 10 minutes. Once the steaming is complete, peel the skin off the pepper and remove the stem and seeds, then slice into thin strips and add to a bowl.
When cooled, cut the corn and add to the bowl. Either cut the onion rounds into quarters or just separate the rings and add to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, feta and jalapeno and mix as well. Add vinaigrette and cilantro to individual salads.
Health benefits:
Tomatoes are great for the heart due to the extreme antioxidant support, niacin, folate and vitamin B6 that helps the reduction of heart disease. They are also high in vitamins A, C, K and potassium. The choline in tomatoes helps assist the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation. It also helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory. Tomatoes are high in Lycopene the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color. Cooking tomatoes break down the cell walls, which helps to release the lycopene and is better absorbed by the body with a little bit of fat like olive oil. The Zeaxanthin in them helps to filter harmful ultra-violet rays, which protect eyes from “age-related macular disease.” They are also a powerful blood purifier and great for skin and bone health.
Red Bell Peppers are matured green bell peppers and have more nutrition as they mature. They are super high in vitamin A which helps to support healthy eyesight, especially night vision and are extremely high in vitamin C, so much so they have twice as much as an orange which makes it really good for the skin. Red peppers are one of the highest veggies in lycopene and have been successfully tested in the prevention of many cancers. They have a good source of the antioxidant mineral manganese and B-complex and vitamin E. They help reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol, helps controls diabetes and helps reduce pain. They are also a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, molybdenum and manganese.
Onions are part of the Allium family like scallions, shallots and leeks. Consuming onions daily can help increase bone density, remove bad cholesterol and are helpful with insomnia or sleeping disorders. They contain vitamin C and the phytochemicals called flavonoids that improve the absorption of Vitamin C, which improves blood vessels and reduces inflammation. They have the mineral chromium in them that helps with low blood sugar by helping the cells respond to insulin. The anti-inflammatory antioxidant called quercetin that is present may be helpful with conditions like arthritis. Onions help release digestive juices, which improves the digestive system. They also contain calcium, iron and B complex and have antibiotic, antiseptic, antimicrobial and carminative properties.
